#17: Sir Geoffrey Palmer on the RSB: Unworkable, Unconstitutional, Unacceptable

Coherent

Why the Regulatory Standards Bill would paralyse Parliament, empower unelected overseers, and unravel democratic lawmaking in New Zealand

In this episode of Coherent, Melanie Nelson speaks with former Prime Minister and constitutional law expert Sir Geoffrey Palmer about the Regulatory Standards Bill — which he describes as one of the most dangerous and constitutionally incoherent pieces of legislation he’s encountered in his long career.

Sir Geoffrey warns that the Bill would install an unelected oversight board with sweeping powers, reduce ministers to bystanders in their own portfolios, and introduce regulatory principles that are legally unenforceable but politically weaponised. He argues the Bill would produce “regulatory chaos,” subvert ministerial responsibility, and undermine the principle that elected representatives — not economists — are responsible for making law.

We cover:

• Why Clause 24 creates a legal fiction that bypasses the courts
• How the Bill concentrates power in a “super-minister” while silencing other ministers
• The risks to public safety and the environment from an ideologically tilted “property rights” regime
• What’s missing from the Bill’s design — including any reference to the Regulations Review Committee
• How the Bill reflects a global trend toward authoritarian capitalism — and why it must be stopped

Palmer makes the case that the RSB is not just a policy error, but a democratic and constitutional crisis in the making. His call is clear: submit, speak up, and stop this Bill while we still can.

Resources:

Sector Specific RSB Tool: https://tinyurl.com/RSBTool

Linktree with a wide range of historic and contemporary information on the RSB, including submission guides and builders.

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This is part of a series of in-depth conversations with experts across sectors on the real-world impacts of the Regulatory Standards Bill. If you value independent political analysis, subscribe to my Substack for more interviews, writing, and updates. Free subscribers get regular content. Paid subscriptions really help keep this work going.